06/18/1990 - Clearwater Beach Blue Ribbon Task Force
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MINUTES
CLEARWATER BEACH BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE
J UN E 1 8, 1 990
Members Present
Members Absent:
John Doran
Don Seaton
Stephen R. Fowler
Kenneth G. Rosenow
Julie Tiernan
Anne McKay Garris
Walter Wellborn, Jr.
Otto P. Gans
Gordon McDougall
Jay F. Keyes
Arthur X. Deegan II
Phil Henderson
David R. Little
Mark Legue
Major Martin
Also Present:
Mayor Rita Garvey
City Manager Ron Rabun
Asst City Manager Michael Wright
The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by temporary Chairman Michael Wright.
The meeting location was the boardroom of the Sea Stone Hotel.
A motion was made by Gordon McDougall, seconded by Stephen Fowler, to nominate
Arthur Deegan as the Task Force Chairman. The motion passed unanimously.
A motion was made by Anne Garris, seconded by Don Seaton, to nominate Walter
Wellborn as the Task Force Vice-Chairman. The motion passed unanimously.
It was the consensus that no other official positions were necessary at this time.
A brief discussion was held retgarding the need for the City to provide staff to record
minutes. City Manager Ron Rabun agreed to try to locate an employee to perform the
task.
Chairman Deegan asked for, and received, a commitment from the group:
a) to be guided in general by Robert's Rules of Order, but to seek consensus on
important issues, rather than putting everything to a vote
b) to present during discussions not only a personal opinion, but also the wishes
of all stakeholders who are not present but who expect their views to be
represented by appointees to the task force
c) to devote the time necessary to accomplish the task including one or two "all
day" sessions, perhaps on Saturdays, for those who can make it
Each member of the task force expressed one or two major issues/concerns which should
be addressed as part of a comprehensive plan for the future of Clearwater Beach:
Art Deegan: we need to work toward a comprehensive plan and withhold final decisions
on any single issue until all have been considered in the light of their impact on others;
we need to emphasize facts and not make decisions based on anecdotes or emotions
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Walter Wellborn: while it may not be possible to resolve all issues, some do have
solutions, if care is given to the correct sequence
Don Seaton: one issue is the future of tourism and the economic well-being of the tourist
industry; another need is a safe way for tourists to get around without having to use
automobiles and still be safe; a third concerns a plan for economic recovery from any
hurricane that might hit the area
Julie Tiernan: we need a redevelopment plan for the Beach, comparable to the downtown
area, which will bring us into the 1990's to promote tourism, and to bring property to
newer values
Jay Keyes: there is a danger of Beach property deteriorating; some Beach problems also
affect the mainland (for example, traffic); we need things for young people to do on the
Beach; the crime situation might warrant putting the bridge tenders under the police
department so as to close the bridges to outbound traffic in time of need
David Little: the possibility exists for growth on the Beach to be used as a source of
personal gain at the expense of Clearwater as a whole; the Beach must be an asset of the
whole City; we need quality control measures on the Beach; what we do should help us to
take control of the Beach and its destiny u by being selective in whom we appeal to; we
might bring in a major attraction, or just promote our natural beach/park/land as
opposed to asphalt and high rises
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John Doran: we must deal with facts; we must address today's problems in light of the
future 20 years
Ken Rosenow: there has been a decline in quality on the Beach, not only physically but
also in terms of the persons frequenting the area; we need a people plan and how it will
affect us in ? number of years; perhaps we can ask ourselves what it was that drew us
to come here; we must always be thinking in terms of the entire community's good
Otto Gans:perhaps we could have a theme for all issues to feed into (traffic, police,
etc.); we need an updated building code, carefully and properly enforced/administered
Gordon McDoU(~all: we should work toward making Clearwater Beach the kind of place
people think of in the same breath as they think of Epcot Center; we need more atrac-
tions for people, consistent architecture, landscaping down the main streets, a tram
system, and the like
Stephen Fowler: we need the code tailored to fit the needs of the Beach; we should make
use of maps available from the City Planning Department; we need another way to access
the Beach from the mainland
Phil Henderson: we need a realistic approach to redevelopment which would lead to a
cleaner Beach; properties need upgrading, but restrictive laws and codes stand in the
way at the present
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Anne Garris: we are in danger of losing the "charming" characteristic of the Beach; the
tourist industry needs protection and enhancement; we should show interest in the
environment; we need to maintain the balance between commercial and residential; the
family motel industry in particular needs enhancement; we have to find ways to bring
people here to recreate without bringing their cars
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Chairman Deegan outlined the steps in a classic process for strategic planning and ob-
tained agreement from the group that this could be a workable approach for the task
force to use.
It was agreed that the next meeting would address the Mission and an Environmental
Assessment. The following volunteers were appointed to be subcommittees ready to
report back on 1) trends over the next 10 years in their assigned area of study and
2) possible impact of these trends on the Beach:
Legal/Governmental/Regulatory Constraints: Stephen Fowler, Anne Garris
Technological Changes: Gordon McDougall, Walter Wellborn
Competition for Tourism: Julie Tiernan, Don Seaton
Economic Trends: John Doran, Jay Keyes
Business & Commerce Developments: David Little, Ken Rosenow
Population Statistics: Phil Henderson, Otto Gans
The consensus opinion of the Task Force was the development of a plan that would focus
on an eleven year time frame, Le., to the year 2001.
The next meeting will be held July 23, 1990 at 7:00 pm at the Sea Stone Hotel and the
subsequent meeting is scheduled for August 18, 1990 from 9 :00 am to 3:00 pm at the
Sea Stone Hotel.
The meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm.
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ArthurX:Deeganl[-Gh~man-------
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